SEE THE DOG: Observation Skills
Take your observation skills to new levels with this exciting course from Suzanne Clothier.
Join Suzanne and learn to really SEE THE DOG starting April 12th.
Early Bird Dog Pricing available NOW through March 29th. Payment plan available, more info below!
- 00 Days
- 00 Hours
- 00 Minutes
- 00 Seconds
You've been watching dogs your whole life.
But are you really seeing them?
You've been watching dogs for years. You think you're good at it. But what if the problem isn't what you know — it's what you're not seeing?
Scientists have proven that humans can stare directly at something and completely fail to see it. If that can happen to trained researchers in a controlled study — eyes open, fully focused — imagine what's happening when you're working with a dog under real-world conditions, when emotion is running high and things are moving fast.
And when we do notice something, we reach for a label. We call a dog "reactive" or "stubborn" or "anxious" — and we think we've said something meaningful. But labels aren't observations. They're where observation stops. They close the door right when curiosity should be opening it.
The cost is real. An inaccurate observation doesn't just mean you misread the moment. It means everything that follows — your training plan, your assessment, your response — is built on a foundation that isn't real. For professionals, it can mean failed training and dangerous situations. For dog owners, it means missing the signals your dog has been sending you all along.
Train the skill of looking itself.
This course doesn't teach you a list of things to look for. It trains your brain to override its natural limitations and see what's actually there.
"You will observe everything differently."
That's what students tell us, again and again — not just how they watch dogs and other animals, but how they move through the world with fresh eyes and new perspectives.
-
See what's actually there — not what you expect to see, not what you're used to seeing, but what the animal is genuinely doing right now.
-
Catch the blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments — the subtle shifts in body language, the micro-pauses, the signals that were always there but invisible to an untrained eye.
-
Replace labels with real observations — move from "she's being dominant" to a precise, useful account of what actually happened and when.
-
Track meaningful change — know how to measure progress, identify patterns, and compare across time and context.
-
Carry the skill everywhere — what you develop here works with every species, in every situation. You're not learning dog body language. You're upgrading how your brain processes the world.
Who this is for
Anyone who works with, lives with, or cares deeply about animals.
There is no minimum experience level. What every student shares is a genuine desire to see more clearly.
🐾
Deeper understanding
Imagine seeing the stress signals before your dog bites, or recognizing the learning moments that happen dozens of times each day. Respond to what's actually happening.
📋
Getting good answers
Without right observation, we cannot make correct assessments. Sharpen your ability to identify patterns, solve problems quickly, and help clients more effectively.
🏥
Move beyond labels
Develop precise, descriptive observation skills that go beyond subjective labels — especially critical when assessing animals in high-stress environments.
🏠
See more, do better
See more, miss less, and make better decisions for the animals in your care. Training, health care, welfare, and placement in the right home - all depend on observation.
🐕
Differences & Details
Train your eye for meaningful behavioral differences. Systematic observation changes what you see and what decisions you make for each dog.
🐕🦺
Educate others
Learn Suzanne's practical approach that is grounded in clear language and concepts that help your clients develop their own observation skills.
Inside the course
Not a course about dogs. A course about seeing.
This course doesn't start with a list of behaviors to memorize. It starts with you — specifically, with the startling reality of how much your brain routinely misses, edits, and invents.
From there, you build systematically. You'll learn a framework for observation — who to watch, why, what for, and how to record what you see so it remains useful. You'll work with video, analyzing the same interactions multiple times and discovering how each viewing reveals something new.
By the midpoint, you're tracking specific behaviors across time — frequency, duration, patterns — and learning to compare what you see against a baseline. By the end, you're observing complex multi-animal interactions and finding that a scene that once looked like chaos is now full of readable information.
It's not a fast course. It's a deep course. The skills you build here will stay with you long after it ends.
Each of the 12 modules includes lesson content, video analysis exercises, observation skill practice, and a self-assessment quiz. Work at your own pace, and enjoy instructor-led discussion sessions.
7 live Q&A sessions with Suzanne, held weekly at 10:30 AM ET. All sessions are recorded, and available for you afterwards. You may also submit questions ahead of time to be addressed in the Q&A.
CEUs pending for IAABC, PPAB, KPA.
Click on any module to learn more.
Where observation actually happens — and why where you focus your attention shapes everything you see. Includes your first practical exercise and the downloadable Observation Deck.
What ethology can teach trainers about approaching every interaction with fresh eyes and genuine curiosity. Includes the "Name That Behavior" exercise — and a lesson from bees.
The foundational three-step cycle of skilled observation. Why accurate memory is a learned skill, how the Invisible Gorilla reveals what your brain routinely edits out, and how to take field notes that stay useful.
The five essential questions that structure any observation. Applied to sociability, to people, and to the often-overlooked role of lateralization in behavior.
What makes a comparison meaningful rather than misleading. When to use a narrative versus a data table — and practice with both, including the Observations Options Mind Map.
Put your skills to work identifying individual puppies from behavioral descriptions alone. A rigorous, satisfying test of how far your observation has already come.
Real Footage — Work with real video of puppies in multiple contexts — with and without food, with and without noise. Build the eye for meaningful behavioral differences between individuals.
Two of the most powerful tools in behavioral measurement. Work with extended real footage of Team Missy to track eye contact, orientation, alignment, and how handler and dog behavior interact over time.
A deceptively simple multi-part exercise that sharpens your ability to notice subtle but critical changes over time. You will see the same dog differently by the end.
How the words we choose shape — and limit — what we see. Develop the situational awareness that picks up context cues other observers walk right past, including the "Magic Hot Dog" practical exercise.
Expand your lens to the full relationship dynamic. Work with real footage of two handler/dog teams, analyzing the same interactions from multiple angles: overall picture, handlers only, dogs only, and what matters most.
The final challenge: multi-dog interactions that once looked like chaos. Work through the complete "Tail Lights" sequence, raw footage, narrated breakdown, and the anatomy of how an argument develops — and discover how much you can now read.
"Behaviour is constantly in flux. The ability to accurately see the dog and handler in front of us in real time lies at the heart of excellent dog training. Without right observation, we cannot make correct assessments or respond appropriately and quickly enough. This has been one of the most valuable courses I've taken as a dog trainer, and also one of the most enjoyable."
Dr. Shlomit Harrosh
"This course is not a checklist. It's training your brain to be a better observer. You'll have several aha-moments during the course work, but it continues way beyond that. You will observe everything differently, and continue to improve your observation skills after this course."
Vibeke Alstad Jagne
"When I started this course, I imagined it'd be all about learning dog body language, but it's so much more than that. I've learnt how to open my eyes, heart and mind to observe everything around me, not just dogs. Learning to observe what I see has set me on a journey to understand so much more about myself and my dogs."
Caroline Howard-Vallis
"I think I was expecting yet another list of body language details like so many classes out there, but this one is really focused on the SKILL of observing. It was unique and valuable! I'll definitely be practicing these skills for a long time — it feels like a lifelong study."
Annika Browne
"This course taught me how to be a better observer, which has made me a better trainer. I can identify trends and patterns more quickly, solve problems more quickly, and help my clients solve behavior challenges more quickly."
Doreen Alessi-Holmes
"The skills I learned in this course I carry with me daily as I walk through relationships with all species — and with myself."
Lucy Propper
ENROLLMENT
Course Begins April 12, 2026.
Select the option that works for you. You will get a year access to all 12 modules, video exercises and self-assessment quizzes starting April 12, 2026.
BEST
VALUE
VALUE
Early Bird Dog Pricing (ends March 29th)
Save $50 by enrolling early!
$399
$ 349
- One Time Payment
PAYMENT PLAN
Two monthly payments for a year access.
$ 219 x 2 payments
- Two Monthly Payments
Suzanne Clothier
Course Creator & InstructorThe late R.K. Anderson, DVM — one of the most respected voices in animal behavior — called Suzanne Clothier "one of the best observers of dogs that I have ever seen."
But Suzanne will be the first to tell you that she wasn't born that way. Her legendary observation skills are the result of decades of deliberate, systematic practice. Drawing from ethology, cognitive science, and more than forty years of hands-on experience with animals of all kinds, she has spent years distilling how she learned to see into something she can teach.
This course is the program she wished had existed when she was developing these skills herself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Really seeing the dog in front of you is critical to the training decisions you will make with and for that dog. If you work with shy, fearful or aggressive dogs, missing important information can create inhumane or dangerous situations. All dogs need your best observations at work for them.
This course is ideal for anyone who wants to add new ways to observe and understand dogs. Join us!
Starting April 12th we will release two sessions per week for six weeks (each about an hour+) plus practice work, plus a live Q&A session with Suzanne (live attendance is optional, they will be recorded for viewing at your convenience) plus a 7th week wrap-up Q& A session. The Q&A Sessions are tentatively scheduled for Tuesdays at 10:30 AM EST starting week April 21. You have access to the course for a full year.
Plan on spending 2-4 hours per week watching Suzanne's presentations, plus an hour or so with the Q&A sessions. Multiple observation practice sessions are done in short bursts of time throughout your day, ranging from 30 seconds to 5-10 minutes to complete.
Yes, CEUs are available for IAABC, KPA and PPAB. We are sorry we cannot offer CEUs for CCPDT, they do not approve them.
Yes, this is one of the prerequisites, the other being Intro to CARAT.
No - Observation Skills is a stand alone courses. You do have to complete Observation Skills and Intro to CARAT if you are interested in pursuing CARAT Certification, but they can be done in any order. Observation Skills is open to anyone interested in learning how to really SEE THE DOG in new ways.